In this deeply insightful and personal conversation on the AI Grapple Podcast, host Kate vanderVoort speaks with Ryan Levesque - 7-time Inc. 5000 CEO, 2-time national bestselling author, and strategic advisor. Ryan has built an extraordinary career generating over $100 million in revenue without AI - until recently. His innovative ASK Method transformed how businesses understand and connect with their audiences, influencing thousands of entrepreneurs worldwide. Ryan has been one of Kate’s most significant professional influences. His frameworks and philosophy profoundly reshaped her approach to building customer communities and hyper-personalisation. In this candid and thought-provoking episode, Ryan and Kate explore critical realities and hidden risks of AI, discussing authenticity, human connection, and what it truly means to thrive as thought leaders in our rapidly changing AI-driven world.

Key Episode Highlights:

1. Ryan’s Journey - Building Success Without AI

• Ryan attributes his initial entrepreneurial success to a blend of timing, hard work, and leveraging powerful market trends.
• He developed the influential ASK Method, helping businesses deeply understand their audience through surveys, quizzes, and customer insights.

2. AI’s Transformative Impact

• Ryan shares how AI drastically simplified and accelerated customer research and data analysis, turning weeks of work into mere minutes.
• Yet, he cautions that AI-generated content often lacks authenticity, emphasising the irreplaceable value of genuinely human-crafted content.

3. Ethical Dilemmas: When AI "Acts" as Ryan Levesque

• Ryan reflects candidly about the ethical implications of AI replicating his voice and expertise without consent.
• He encourages a forward-thinking approach, emphasising adaptability and constant evolution as thought leaders to stay ahead of technology’s curve.

4. Authenticity in an AI-Driven World

• Ryan discusses a pivotal shift: choosing to personally author his weekly newsletter instead of delegating it to AI or ghostwriters.
• He believes that authentic, deeply personal communication is essential to creating genuine connections, trust, and differentiation in a noisy, AI-powered environment.

5. From Old-World Gurus to New-World Thought Leaders

• Ryan emphasises that trust has become increasingly rare and valuable, requiring heart, humour, and humanity from leaders to truly resonate.
• He encourages transparency and vulnerability, sharing personal stories that connect deeply with audiences—qualities AI simply cannot emulate.

6. Navigating the AI Disruption in Business

• Ryan predicts substantial disruption across high-skilled industries (law, healthcare, marketing), urging entrepreneurs to proactively prepare for rapid change.
• He stresses the importance of adopting a contrarian view, looking for opportunities where others see threats, and re-centring businesses around human relationships.

7. The Hidden Risks of AI: Second and Third-Order Effects

• Ryan highlights concerns around mass job displacement and its broader economic consequences, such as reduced consumer spending power and cascading effects on entire industries.
• He discusses the potential necessity of solutions like Universal Basic Income (UBI), though acknowledging complexities and unanswered economic questions.

8. Thriving by Returning to “Real”

• Ryan outlines an emerging societal desire for analogue, artisanal, and authentic experiences—coining this movement as a “return to real.”
• He encourages entrepreneurs and marketers to leverage AI appropriately, but double down on authentic, human-centred content and customer interactions.

9. Resilience and Adaptability for an Uncertain Future

• Ryan speaks openly about personal moments of struggle, vulnerability, and reflection, underscoring the importance of resilience.
• He believes teaching adaptability, resilience, and authenticity to future generations will be essential in successfully navigating an AI-driven future.

10. Final Insights from Ryan

• Ryan encourages embracing change courageously, remaining curious, and being willing to adapt quickly and authentically.
• He invites entrepreneurs to become the "freshly squeezed orange juice" of their industries, offering real depth and human connection amid a flood of watered-down, AI-generated content.

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Subscribe to Ryan’s Weekly Newsletter: The Digital Contrarian

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